David Owen

David Owen (2 July 1938-) was UK Foreign Secretary from 21 February 1977 to 4 May 1979, succeeding Anthony Crosland and preceding Lord Carrington. From 1983 to 1987, he was also the leader of the UK Social Democratic Party, a splintergroup of the UK Labor Party.

Biography
David Owen was born in Plympton, Devon, England in 1938 to Welsh parents, and he worked on a laboring job before going to Cambridge. In 1960, he joined the UK Labor Party and the Fabian Society, and he was elected an MP in 1966; he served as MP for Plymouth Sutton from 31 March 1966 to 28 February 1974 (succeeding Ian Fraser and preceding Alan Clark), and MP for Plymouth Devonport from 28 February 1974 to 9 April 1992 (succeeding Joan Vickers and preceding David Jamieson). He served as Health Minister from 1974 to 1976, as Foreign Minister from 1976 to 1977, and as Foreign Secretary from 1977 to 1979. In 1981, he was one of the "Gang of Four" who left the Labor Party to found the UK Social Democratic Party. From 1983 to 1987, he led the Social Democratic Party, and the continuing SDP from 1988 to 1990. He sat in the House of Lords as a crossbencher until March 2014, and then sat as an independent social democrat.